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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: racket · cabinet · dip · chair · temple · lean · deal · wound

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. deal — to handle
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. lean — thin
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. wound — an injury
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. wound — an injury
  11. dip — to sink
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. lean — to bend
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a leader
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. deal — an agreement

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com